Put people first

While outpatient dispensaries at the nation’s major hospitals reopened on Thursday, the Public Service Association (PSA) has threatened that additional disruptions in service to the population were a very real possibility.

Speaking with Newsday at the Eric Williams Financial Complex yesterday, Enill said, "My issue continues to be what is in the best interest of the citizens of TT and as far as I am concerned, the citizens require the Government to provide the solution to the problem. Poor people are not being served when they are ill, when they have to go to hospital because we do not have sufficient pharmacists in the system.

"In those circumstances, we need to implement that immediately. This is a short-term solution (bringing in Filipino pharmacists). It will improve our service delivery in the first instance. It will give us more flexibility within the system in terms of deployment of human resources and it will allow us to build a cadre of Trinidadians to take over."

He also said local pharmacists appeared to be misinformed about the entire reclassification process and the fact that Government was continuing to address their concerns at the levels of the CPO and PSNC. Noting that contract positions are being created to fill 500 existing vacancies in the Customs and Inland Revenue Departments, Enill said it was even more difficult to "fill vacancies through the establishment (such as pharmacists)" which could take four to five years. "The public cannot wait for four to five years, so we have to find short-term solutions that are immediate and work on longer and medium term solutions," he stated. Explaining that there is a specific process for reclassification of local pharmacists, Enill said Government could not interfere with it or put a time frame on when it would be completed, but it was continuing to negotiate with the PSA. To those describing the 25 percent responsibility allowance to pharmacists who supervise the Filipinos as "insulting," Enill said, "Whenever classification comes in place, persons doing the supervision would get 25 percent on a higher base." He added that it was not a question of Government not honouring a commitment because, "there is no commitment to honour because the negotiations continue."

Health Minister John Rahael said the ministry’s lawyers would examine the Pharmacy Board Act to see if the Filipino pharmacists could be allowed to work without 500 hours of supervision as currently outlined by the existing legislation. Rahael declared that there was absolutely no truth to allegations that Filipino pharmacists would be paid more than their local counterparts.